Alkali-alkaline earth hydroxide-impregnated carbon catalyst and its preparation



Patented May 17, 1949 ALKALI-ALKALINE EARTH HYDROXIDE -I1VI- PREGNATED CARBON CATALYST AND ITS PREPARATION Austin George Carter, Swansea, Wales, assignor to American Magnesium Metals Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

No Drawing. Application June 15, 1946, Serial No. 677,085. In Great Britain August 28, 1945 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the composition and preparation of catalysts.

It has now been found that there is a liability of magnesium oxide catalysts to disintegrate and lose their catalytic property if the temperature and pressure conditions are such as to allow liquid water to react with any magnesium oxide which may be present to form or reform hydroxide of magnesium with the evolution of steam by the heat of the reaction. The steam so generated causes an internal rise of pressure sufficient to disintegrate the material to a fine powder which retains little or no catalytic influence. The conditions which bring this about are extremely difficult to avoid in practice.

This tendency to disintegrate materially limits the use of the above catalysts.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved catalysts which are not subject to the above defect and are therefore of more general application.

As the result of researches it has now been found, first that it is essential that the catalyst mass shall contain magnesium hydroxide or an alkaline earth hydroxide in contrast to magnesium oxide whether the oxide be provided as such, or in the process of use by maintaining the corresponding hydroxide or carbonate at a temperature higher than the decomposition temperature of magnesium carbonate at which, even in the presence of steam, the oxide is formed. Next the magnesium hydroxide or other alkaline earth hydroxide must be associated with certain other ingredients referred to below. Thus the hydroxides of magnesium and alkaline earth metals or mixtures of these when mixed with carbonaceous matter, and an alkali carbonate or hydroxide and suitably bound and formed, will exercise catalytic functions and the catalyst so formed is not subject to the distintegration disadvantage provided that the temperature and pressure during catalysis are so maintained that dissociation of the hydroxide of the magnesium or alkaline earth metal cannot take place, a condition which is far more easily achieved than that which is necessary to the successful operation of the magnesium oxide containing catalyst.

The relationship between the dissociation pressure and the dissociation temperature for any of the hydroxides named can be ascertained by reference to known and published data. The relationship so ascertained will indicate for any composition the range of interrelated temperatures and pressures within which the stability of the hydroxide and therefore of the catalytic mass is assured.

To illustrate the foregoing below is given the temperatures at which certain hydroxides will dissociate with the formation of the oxides in the presence of a partial pressure of steam of one atmosphere:

Magnesium hydroxide about 380 C. Calcium hydroxide about 547 C. Strontium hydroxide about 778 C. Barium hydroxide about 998 C.

From the above and similar data the most suitable hydroxide to catalyse any particular reaction requiring the presence of steam under predetermined conditions of temperature and pressure may be selected without difficulty.

The invention consists in a catalyst mass comprising an agglomerated or briquetted mixture containing at least one of the materials in each of the following groups (a), (b) and (c) namely:

(a) Amorphous carbon;

(b) One or more of the hydroxides of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and beryllium;

(c) Alkali hydroxides or carbonates.

The invention also consists in a catalyst mass in accordance with the preceding paragraph containing the following ingredients within the ranges specified, namely:

Per cent Magnesium hydroxide 20-50 The invention E-ISOGOHSiStSl'iIl methods for mak ing catalyst masses substantially as herein described.

The invention also consists in catalyst masses of compositions substantially as herein .rlescribed.

The invention further consists-min catalyst masses of compositions substantially as herein described made by methods substantiallyrasheree,

in described.

In carrying the invention into efiect in one form by way of example to provide a catalyst especially suitable for catalytic reactions-'to'be carried, out efiiciently in the lower'ranges 'of'tem-- perature at appropriate pressures, namelyrat 400 C. or less or at a partial pressure of steam greater than .one atmosphere. or. a combination of these conditions,-za:catalyst is-formed by isuite able incorporationuofcthe following ingredients in substantially-1the-proportions given, namely: U

Charcoal; 40 parts-=by-weig-ht; =28% Magnesium hydroxide, 58 parts by weight =40%- Ferric 'oxide;'5 parts by-weight: T Potassium carbonate; p'arts by weights; 10 Aqueous emulsion oftar;- parts *by Weight =18% The magnesium hydnoxideds.preferably 'derived;

from caustic reactive magnesium nxide.--:

The .charcoal. andimagnesium hydroxide are mixed together withthefeiric oXide,"and the mixture is thenfin'elyiground-h Potassium carbonate is added. to v.thefine ,powderwhich is then mixed with the aqueous tanemulsiontogether with sufficient .water to ,makerth'e mass .into a moderate-.

ly stifl dough 1 Thislis ,then. allowed .to dry in air for ,twenty-iourihours, and .is then:- granulated. The..granulesiareifurthenjdried.in an air oven at approximately 50C. prior to briquetting.

The briquettes are calcinedi-in an inertiatmos phere= =at approximatelyi 800 fC, "until": volatiles V have been substantially*removedy are cooled, :and hydrated by the application of water 1 preferably as a fine-sprayzwhich resl-zltstin the reformation of the hydroxide. ofmagnesium.z- The briquettes maylthensafely be exposed anddriedin a warm current of air to a hard andmesistantvcondition. r

According to a further example, to provide a catalyst 'for processes requiring temperatures between' 400--C.- and 600 at-hi'gh or'low-steam 1 partial pressures the'following:.:eomposition hasbeenfound togive good resultsz.::

CharcoaLAO" parts by weight' Strontium hydroxide; partsby weight =87 Ferric oxide, 5 parts by weight Potassium carbonate;-15- partsby weight; =11 Aqueous: emulsion of" tar,- r25 parts by weight n =18% I Thestrontium hydroxidec'sho'uld preferably be derived from caustic reactive strontium oxide,

and the briquettes prepared by the method described in the previous example, the strontium hydroxide being thus converted into strontium oxide which is reconverted into the hydroxide.

General The ultimate ingredients of the catalyst mass have been given in items (a), (b) and (0) above. The starting materials for the ingredients given in item .(b) must bethe oxidemor hydroxide, or compounds capable of formingxthe oxide on calcination and from that the corresponding hydroxide on subsequent treatment with water. The calcination temperature is determined by the decomposition characteristics of the compound chosen,-but inany case it should be high enough to carbonisethe carbonaceous material present, for which purpose a temperature within the range of-700-850 C. is generally satisfactory.

The preferred. tolerance for the principal ingredients of the catalyst masses is shown by the ranges indicated above. As regards ferric oxide, when that is used the preferred tolerance is i2 /g% with respect to the figure given in the examples.

As examples of the range ofcthereactionsin addition to that of carbon monoxide and steamwhich may be brought in accordance withthe the following are quoted: v

(1) The removal ofcarbon disulphide from gases by the reactions CS2+2H2OC02+2H2$ The conversionv of acetylene-into acetone .or alcohols by means of steam} 4 about by catalysts I made The invention does notembrace th'e use of the productionof hydrogen or by Way of improvementor;addition toknown to any otherproc catalysts either for the processes for that purpose ,nor

, ess of user I claim:

I. A catalyst mass comprising a coherent-mixe ture containing as essential .active. constituents amorphous carbon, at least one hydroxide ef-the group consisting of the hydroxides of magnesium,

calcium, strontium, bariumrandaberyllium, and a at least: one material of-rthe groupconsisting ofalkali hydroxides andcarbonates.

2. A .catalystmasscomprising-a coherent mixture containingras essentialractive constituents 20 to 50 per centby weightof at (least one hydroxide/of the group consisting .of hydroxides. of

magnesium, calcium strontium,-=,-.barium-. and beryllium, 5 to. 20 per cent of at least-one mate? rial of the group-consisting of, alkali hydroxides substantially 1 and carbonates, andithe remainder all amorphous carbon",

3. A catalyst mass comprising a coherent mixtureper cent of potassiumicarbo'nate, andthe remain,- der substantially all amorphouscarbonm strontium, berylliumand magnesium convertible to the corresponding, oxide ,.upon,calcination, at least one material of the groupconsisting of al-v kali hydroxides and carbonates, and ,a. carbonacee productive, of amorphousscarbon ous material upon calcination, then. heating, the mixture, to

methods-described above,

The conversion of pythalic acid or anhydride' containing as essentialcactive-v constituents 20 to 50 per cent ofmagnesium hydroxide, 5 to 20 drive off volatile matter and to convert the material of the first-named group and the carbonaceous material, respectively, to the corresponding oxide and. amorphous carbon, and then treating the product with water to convert the said corresponding oxide to the hydroxide.

AUSTIN GEORGE CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Llebknecht May 3, 1927 Hansgirg Sept. 12, 1933 Hene Oct. 6, 1936 Alexander May 14, 1940 Halbig et al Oct. 1, 1940 Kearby Mar. 5, 1946 

